Blue Willow’s understated start belies its pedigree. This is a Capitol Hill dining legacy, it turns out. Blue Willow’s peppercorn-spiked dishes are firmly connected to former Broadway great Lionhead. When legendary Capitol Hill chef Jerry Traunfeld retired, he handed over Lionhead to Benjamin Chew. Chew’s partnership for continuing Lionhead dissolved and the Broadway restaurants was sold off to new concepts. Chew’s Sichuan spot Tyger Tyger grew in Lower Queen Anne.
Now, he is back on the Hill with those tongue-numbing flavors in his own style.
Blue Willow hopes for new food and drink generations on Capitol Hill extends to its part of the neighborhood. Chew’s Blue Willow is taking over the space where Stateside and its sibling bar Foreign National shuttered to end last summer after a decade of French Vietnamese flavors in the neighborhood.
Around the corner on Melrose, Middle Eastern favorite Mamnoon also shuttered last year after 13 years in the neighborhood.
An even bigger gap ripped open in 2025 as Starbucks made the shocking decision to permanently close its more than $20 million Capitol Hill roastery that opened in 2014 as the first in the coffee giant’s showcase concept.
2026 is moving forward with Blue Willow quietly beginning new growth. Chew has transformed the space into a red-lit lounge with a central bar. The menu is filled with dumplings and buns, noodles and ride dishes, plus meats like Sichuan babyback ribs, pork belly, and cod with greens. The zip of the peppercorns will remind you of Lionhead. The lighting with the right cocktail in their hand might transport a Hill old-timer to Broadway haunt Jade Pagoda.
As for hype, the new “BLUE WILLOW CHINESE” sign will have to do. There’s now Blue Willow website and @bluewillowseattle sits waiting to be kicked into gear.
Blue Willow is open at 300 E Pike.
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